Continuous envelopes

ABSTRACT

In order to prevent excessive delamination, peeling, or shredding of the carrier web of a continuous envelope assembly adjacent the glue spots, especially when the envelopes are machine detached, an opening or weakened portion is formed in the carrier web closely adjacent the trailing side of such glue spots. These portions may take various forms: slits, perforations forming interrupted slits, holes of various shapes, or even extremely heavily scored lines; all of which terminate any tears which might occur, almost at their incipiency.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,535,537 12/1950 Heywood 229/80 3 ,273,7 84 9/1966 Porter 229/69Primary ExaminerDavid M. Bockenek Attorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle &Watson ABSTRACT: In order to prevent excessive delamination, peeling, orshredding of the carrier web of a continuous envelope assembly adjacentthe glue spots, especially when the envelopes are machine detached, anopening or weakened portion is formed in the carrier web closelyadjacent the trailing side of such glue spots. These portions may takevarious forms: slits, perforations fonning interrupted slits, holes ofvarious shapes, or even extremely heavily scored lines; all of whichterminate any tears which might occur, almost at their incipiency.

o o u c v o o o 0 ID 0 o I 1, O I o --c I 6, 07A 0 o o I I H 0 B o o 3/4, itc Z 0 I o o A po o C o o I o B o l 0 2 [H] L 2:=--C =55 Z 0 9 .A u/o 2 T i 2 o c o D Z 1 3 o c o o o o ?A' T T o CONTINUOUS ENVELOPES Thisinvention relates to continuous envelope assemblies comprising a carrierweb to which a series of envelopes are spot-attached, as for example, bydots of adhesive.

Such assemblies, which may be exemplified by that disclosed in the US.Pat. No. 3,273,784 to V. V. Porter, are now detacher which successivelyseparates the envelopes from the carrier web at the glue spots. One formof detacher of this general character is disclosed in the copendingapplication Ser. No. 794,293 of R. W. Winston, filed .Ian. 27, I969.

In the use of many types of detaching apparatus for the con tinuousseparating of envelopes from a carrier web, tearing or delamination ofportions of the carrier web occur with the result that the separatedenvelopes carry with them hangons" comprising shreds or strips torn orpeeled from the web and sometimes being of considerable length andpresenting an untidy appearance not in keeping with the aestheticconsideration necesary for prestige top-quality stationery.

It is therefore the principal object of the invention to provide meansfor minimizing or eliminating the fonnation of such hang-ons ordelamination shreds by interrupting the tearing in its incipiency at oradjacent to the trailing sides of the glue spots.

More specific objects of the invention reside in the nature of certainembodiments of the tear-terminating means. They may take the fonn ofstraight slits extending transversely of the line of feed of the web,interrupted slits formed by perforations,

holes of various configuration, oreven in some cases heavily scoredlines. I I

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from thefollowing specification when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by wayof example.

In the drawings: I I r I FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of anenvelope assembly I embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 215 a In pcrspecuve ofa p0 on ofa similar as described herein maybe made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined bythe following claims.

sembly illustrating a common fault in the prior art; 1

FIG. 3 and enlarged FIGS. 4 and 5, are detail views of one machine whichmay be used to separate the envelopes from the carrier web; and 1 FIG. 6is a composite of several examples of the novel tear stopping features.I 1

In FIG. I of the drawings, acarrier web is indicated at A and isprovided with a series of feed holes A along each margin for beingshredded away and constituting an undesirable hangon" which mars theappearance of the envelope and may interfere with the proper adhesion ofthe fiap.

In some cases the hang-on" may stretch further than as it is illustratedin FIG. 2, and this deleterious feature occurs frequently whether theenvelopes are separated from the web 7 by hand or mechanically.

The separation of the assemblies by mechanical means is illustrated inFIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings where the detacher apparatus, like theone which is the subject of the above mentioned application, isindicated generally by the reference numeral 10. I

One of the side frames upon which the operative parts are supported isshown at 13, and pivotally mounted thereon as at 12 is a tray 11 forcollecting the separated envelopes. A stop pin 14 limits the, downwardmovement of the tray.

The stripper bar or plate 16 is also' pivoted at 12 and is positionedfor operation by the stop pin 45. The assembly is threaded into themachine and passes'along a platform 22. The carrier web A is guidedaround the curved edge 33 of platform 22 and between the pull rolls 3!and 32 while the envelopes are fed, by means not shown but adequatelydisclosed in the application referred to, onto the stripper plate 16,

whereupon the bonds C are burst and the envelopes are ing to the presentinvention, an interruption D in the fibrous structure of the web isprovided closely adjacent to each of the glue spots C, on the ,upstream"side thereof in relation to the movement of the assembly. Theseinterruptions may take various forms, for example the straight out D inexample I of the composite FIG. 6. Or they may be made as a line ofperforations as at D in example ll; Circular punched openings D inexample III; or a modified figure such as the crescent D in example IV.i

In the case of some web materials, even a deeply scored line may sutficeas a tear interruption.

-It is also understood that the web material may be made of paper stockmade more liable to shredding or delaminating than the envelope stock;or contrariwise, inconspicuous slits or fiber interruptions D may beapplied to the envelopes themselves adjacent the junction spots C.

feeding the assembly through a business machine. The envelopes B, whichtogether with the web A, form the continuous envelope assembly, aredetachably secured to the web by means of the spots of adhesive C, whichmay be distributed in any desired pattern with respect to theconfiguration of the envelopes. However, the particular distributionillustrated is a preferred one and confonns generally to those of theabove mentioned application and patent, whereby the spots willultimately be covered by the envelope flaps when the envelopes aresealed.

In FIG. 2, there is illustrated what usually happens when the envelopesare pulled from the web after they are imprinted or otherwise treated.Numerals C and Cindicate the separated portions of the original 'spot C,a portion of the paper of which the web is composed being delaminatedand the torn layer C Other modifications in the embodiments illustratedand Iclaim: I

l. A continuous envelope assembly comprising a carrier web of fibrousmaterial such as paper or the like, and a series of envelopes disposedflatwise along said web and secured thereto, said assembly adapted to bepassed through a detacher machine in a given linear direction, the meansof tioned immediately to the rear of one of said dots of adhesive asrelated to such direction of movement, said slits serving to block thecontinuity of the fibrous structure of the web, so as to provide a stopfor any delamination or shredding of the web during passage therethroughthe detacher machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE Certificate Patent No.3,554,447 Patented January 12, 1971 John P. Sebring Application havingbeen made by John P. Sebring, the inventor named in the patent aboveidentified, and Moore Business Forms, Inc., Niagara Falls, New York, acorporation of Delaware, the assignee, for th issuance of a certificateunder the provisions of Title 35, Section 256, of the United StatesCode, adding the name of John T. Crow as a. joint inventor, and ashowing and proof of facts satisfying the requirements of the saidsection having been submitted, it is this 17th day of May 1977,certified that the name of the said John T. Crow is hereby added to thesaid patent as arjoint inventor with the said John P. Sebring.

FRED W. SHERLING,

Associate Solicitor.

1. A continuous envelope assembly comprising a carrier web of fibrousmaterial such as paper or the like, and a series of envelopes disposedflatwise along said web and secured thereto, said assembly adapted to bepassed through a detacher machine in a given linear direction, the meansof securement being spaced appreciable distances from the leading edgesof the successive envelopes considered in said direction of movement,whereby the paths of movement of the web itself and of the successiveenvelopes may be readily diverged for the purpose of pulling theenvelopes from the web, said means of securement comprising smallinconspicuous dots of adhesive; and short slits formed in the carrierweb and extending transversely of the direction of movement of theassembly through the macHine, each of said slits positioned immediatelyto the rear of one of said dots of adhesive as related to such directionof movement, said slits serving to block the continuity of the fibrousstructure of the web, so as to provide a stop for any delamination orshredding of the web during passage therethrough the detacher machine.